Now that it's the first real golfing event of the year -- and now that we only have four or five real golfing events per year -- the Masters feels more important than ever. Of course, one of the great joys of the Masters is the chance to enjoy sports without having to worry about your team, and this year UK fans will be deprived of that option, due to the basketball coaching search that hangs over everything. But we'll try to enjoy the Masters anyway.
Here are the current leaders:
T1. E. van Rooyen (RSA): -3 (9 holes)
T1. B. DeChambeau: -3 (6)
T1. R. Fox (NZL): -3 (5)
T1. B.H. An (KOR): -3 (4)
T5. D. Willett (ENG): -2 (7)
T5. C. Lamprecht (RSA) (a): -2
Lamprecht played college golf at Georgia Tech, and is here because he won the British Amateur in 2023.
If anything more happens on the UK coaching search, that will go in this thread. But my guess is that everyone is Lexington is done for the week and is focused on the Masters anyway.
Here are the current UK coaching odds on Bet Kentucky:
ReplyDeleteBilly Donovan: +220
Tommy Lloyd: +500
Mark Pope: +900
T.J. Otzelberger: +900
Bruce Pearl: +1500
Shaka Smart: +1500
Brad Underwood: +2000
Rick Pitino: +2000
The Field: +800
I think Otzelberger and The Field are really good bets.
To be fair to Barnhart, I'm sure he would just as soon go hire Otzelberger -- that's the sort of guy he wants. But the boosters are going to make him waste the weekend proving to them that neither Donovan nor Hurley will take it.
ReplyDeleteMatt Jones tweets: "Kentucky is swinging for the fences as we speak and I respect it."
ReplyDeleteTony Patelis responds to this tweet with a picture of Bob Huggins.
DeleteDeChambeau bogeys the ninth hole and is out in 34.
ReplyDeleteMatt Jones again: "As I have said from moment one (despite other reports), there have been 3 top choices for UK. One removed himself from consideration early this morning. UK was prepared for that possibility. As of this moment, the other 2 are in play. And one is being courted hard today."
ReplyDeleteNow ESPN is showing famous shots from Masters history that were called by Verne Lundquist, because this is Verne's last Masters. That shot by Tiger in the 2005 Masters is the single greatest moment for me in my life as a golf fan.
ReplyDeleteI love Verne!
DeleteJust in case you wondered how good these golfers are, ESPN is now doing a segment where guys are bouncing balls across the pond on 16 to reach the green. It seems impossible to me, but both Spieth and Sergio pull it off without too much trouble.
ReplyDeleteRyan Fox, who plays on the European Tour, just eagled the 8th hole to move to 5 under. Erik van Rooyan just birdied 13 to move to 4 under.
ReplyDeleteFox goes out in 31.
ReplyDeleteMatt Norlander of CBS Sports reports that there is a "0 percent chance" Dan Hurley will leave UConn for Kentucky.
ReplyDeleteNorlander comments: "Always seemed far-fetched as is."
DeleteIt certainly seemed far-fetched to me.
DeleteNow the Kentucky media has moved on to Billy Donovan. I really wish he would make a decision today.
ReplyDeleteI want Donovan to make an announcement quickly because apparently UK will not begin the actual coaching search until he does.
DeleteVan Rooyen bogeys 14 and 15, and falls back to 2 under.
ReplyDeleteDeChameau is 3-under through 12. He has a chance to post a really good number here.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the Mark Pope thing makes no sense at all. He has been at B.Y.U. for five seasons and has never won a game in the NCAA Tournament. He should not be in consideration at all.
ReplyDeleteTo take just one of many examples that could be given, Buzz Williams has a much stronger resume than Mark Pope.
DeleteMatt Jones again: "Hurley gave Kentucky their official NO within the hour. He turned down a massive offer. Kentucky will now decide whether to wait until next week for Billy Donovan or go in a different direction."
ReplyDeleteDeChambeau birdies 13 and 15 to move to 5 under par.
ReplyDeleteDeChambeau birdies 16 to move to 6 under par. It's odd, because he hasn't been in the running for any PGA Tour events this year.
ReplyDeleteMatt Jones again: "Hurley was a long shot always but they had to try it."
ReplyDeleteWhy? Why did you have to try it in such a public way that you looked foolish and naive? That makes no sense to me.
More Matt Jones: "Scott Drew was someone Mitch really wanted but lifestyle was the issue."
ReplyDeleteAgain, if lifestyle was the issue why did you bother letting your conversation become public? Why couldn't you have found out that lifestyle was an issue on, say, Monday, and then struck him from the list? It makes absolutely no sense to get publicly turned down in this way. Drew's not a jerk -- he's not going to force you to ask him publicly so he can turn you down publicly.
The whole process makes no sense, unless you believe that Barnhart feels that his own position is strengthened if he can go to the donors and say, "Well, I did what you wanted and I tried to get all these people, but they turned me down. Now let me tell you about Buzz Williams."
More Matt Jones: "Folks gotta take a deep breath."
ReplyDeleteReally? Because that's not what we were told when you wanted Cal to leave. We were told that action was needed -- now -- to save the program. You were in a hurry on Monday to get Cal out. Why aren't you in a hurry now?
I just don't get the sense that anyone in Lexington has thought this thing through. Like now Jones is telling us that they have to decide whether to "wait on Billy Donovan." Why? Why haven't you already talked to his agent and made that decision? He's either interested or he's not. You should have that information by now.
None of this seems very organized to me -- unless, again, we are just wasting time with a bunch of hopeless asks until Barnhart can get the donors to accept the type of young, earnest guy that he really wants. And because I don't want to believe that Barnhart is totally incompetent, that's the theory I'm going with.
Let's be clear: Bruce Pearl is the obvious choice. That's who the fans want. Of all the people UK could get, that's the guy most likely to win it all within the next five years. But obviously, Barnhart will never hire him. So we just have to wait through all this nonsense until Barnhart can convince the donors to accept the guy he really wants.
ReplyDeleteDanny Willett -- who won this tournament back in 2016 -- is in the clubhouse with a 4-under par 68.
ReplyDeleteDeChambeau birdies 17 to move to 7 under. And then drives into the fairway bunker on 18.
ReplyDeleteJon Rothstein now reporting that Mark Pope is a candidate for the UK job.
ReplyDeleteThis is really bad news. Otzelberger is a much stronger candidate. But I suppose I was too optimistic there; UK has probably been planning to go to Mark Pope all along.
DeleteJustin Rowland tweets that "Mitch couldnt sell that hire {Mark Pope} to the fan base."
DeleteWell, apparently we are going to find out if they can sell it to the fan base, because someone floated Pope's name in the press.
DeleteDeChambeau goes out in 34, comes home in 31, and finishes with a 7-under par 65. He leads the field by three shots.
ReplyDeleteI have thought from the beginning that UK would not get a big name to replace Cal. Until today, I still thought there was a chance that they would get an up-and-coming coach like Otzelberger, who you could imagine growing into a great coach. Mark Pope is not that coach. He is 51 years old, he's been coaching since 2016, and he's never won a game in the NCAA Tournament. He would be regarded as a disappointing hire by Vandy fans.
ReplyDeleteI think most UK fans will view the hiring of Mark Pope as a sign that Barnhart has decided to destroy the basketball program once and for all. And we'll have to see how the donors react to that.
ReplyDeleteXMayor @MayorKrauss
DeleteIt is pretty clear now @UKMitchBarnhart‘s reference to “legacy” was his intention to reduce the importance and fan base and traditions of UK basketball, so that “no one sport was more important than any other.”
4:26 PM · Apr 11, 2024
Matt Jones: "I love Mark Pope as a player and a person. I think he is a very good basketball coach. But a lot of other names on the list need to say no in my mind before we should go there."
ReplyDeleteJones is finally getting nervous. As he should be.
Meanwhile, at the Masters:
ReplyDelete1. B. DeChambeau: -7 (18 holes)
T2. D. Willett (ENG): -4 (18)
T2. W. Zalatoris: -4 (15)
T2. M. Fitzpatrick (ENG): -4 (13)
T2. S. Scheffler: -4 (13)
1. B. DeChambeau: -7 (18 holes)
ReplyDelete2. S. Scheffler: -6 (17)
3. D. Willett (ENG): -4 (18)
T4. R. Fox (NZL): -3 (18)
T4. M. Pavon (FRA): -3 (8)
Scheffler pars out and finishes with a 6-under 66. Big day for the 2022 champ.
ReplyDeleteTiger Woods birdies the 8th hole to move to 1 under par.
ReplyDeleteSome are suggesting that for UK to hire Pope from BYU would be like UConn hiring Hurley from Rhode Island. That's not true. Hurley took over Rhode Island in 2013. That year, they were number 193 in Ken Pom. By 2018, they were up to 52, had won 28 of their last 36 conference games, had been to the NCAA's two years in a row, and had advanced to the second round both times. Based on that resume, you could imagine that Hurley could do a similar turnaround at UConn.
ReplyDeletePope took over BYU in 2020. The first year, he went 24-8 and probably would have gone to the NCAA's if not for COVID. The next year, he went 20-7 in the COVID season and got a number-6 seed. He was bounced in the first round by UCLA. The next year, he missed the Tournament. The next year, he missed the tournament again. This year, he went 23-11 and got bounced in the first round by Duquesne. In short, you just aren't seeing the type of progress that you normally see from a coach who has a lot of potential. Instead, you're seeing the type of up-and-down years that you get from someone who isn't a top tier coach. And remember: Pope isn't a kid -- he's 51 years old. Right now he's probably about as good as he'll ever be.
ReplyDeleteBut as Eric notes above, apparently Barnhart doesn't want UK to be a basketball power any longer, and this blog will have to find other topics to cover.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame. I actually had hopes for T.J. Otzelberger.
DeleteMax Homa plays the front nine in 32 strokes and is 4-under par.
ReplyDelete1. B. DeChambeau: -7 (18 holes)
ReplyDelete2. S. Scheffler: -6 (18)
3. N. Hojgaard (DEN): -5 (13)
T4. D. Willett (ENG): -4 (18)
T4. M. Homa: -4 (10)
Jones now getting defensive. Tweets: "When has anyone said he {Barnhart} wants to hire Mark Pope? Again if he does, it will be a poor decision. But there is zero proof he wants to hire Pope yet."
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Adam Zagoria reports that Billy Donovan "has no interest" in the Kentucky job, that Mark Pope recently had a Zoom call with Kentucky officials, and that Rick Pitino says that Pope "would be an unbelievable choice" for Kentucky.
ReplyDeletePlay has been suspended for darkness:
ReplyDelete1. B. DeChambeau: -7 (18 holes)
2. S. Scheffler: -6 (18)
3. N. Hojgaard (DEN): -5 (15)
T4. D. Willett (ENG): -4 (18)
T4. M. Homa: -4 (13)
T6. R. Fox (NZL): -3 (18)
T6. C. Davis (AUS): -3 (18)
T6. T. Hatton (ENG): -3 (14)
T9. C. Conners (CAN): -2 (18)
T9. B. An (KOR): -2 (18)
T9. J. Niemann (CHI): -2 (18)
T9. W. Zalatoris: -2 (18)
T9. P. Reed: -2 (14)
T9. M. Pavon (FRA): -2 (14)
T9. L. Aberg (SWE): -2 (11)
T9. T. Fleetwood (ENG): -2 (10)
So the real reporters, including guys like Matt Norlander, are now saying that it is over, and Mark Pope will, indeed, be the next coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. Norlander says they are hoping to have a deal done by the end of the night. Norlander also reports that UK never aggressively pursued Donovan, and never contacted Pitino. I don't think any of this information should come as a surprise to anyone who has followed the UK Athletic Department under Mitch Barnhart.
ReplyDeleteWow!!!
DeleteI am shocked Mark Pope is apparently going to be the guy.
DeleteMaybe I didn't give Mitch Barnhart enough credit and that there was a plan, after all. This does sound like the setup of Ted Lasso.
DeleteMatt Jones, who trusted the UK Athletic Department, now tweets: "Honestly don't know what to say. I like Mark Pope as a person. If it comes together, it's not the hire I would have made."
ReplyDeleteJustin Rowland tweets: "I'm sure Barnhart will point to Jon Scheyer and Hubert Davis." I do not think Barnhart will do any such thing, because any such argument would make no sense.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I don't expect Barnhart to give us any explanation at all.
DeleteCorrect.
DeleteHere's what I think will happen. I believe UK will be a double-digit seed in next year's SEC Tournament, with a Ken Pom rating somewhere north of 50. They will miss the NCAA Tournament. I believe that UK will also miss the NCAA Tournament after the 2025-26 Season. By that point, I believe UK will have a new Athletic Director, and soon after the 2025-26 Season, I believe UK will have a new Basketball Coach.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked Mark Pope, and I'm happy for him and his family that they're going to make a lot of money. But I don't have the heart to watch what the next two years are going to be like.
ReplyDeleteMark Pope may turn out to be great here, but Mitch Barnhart's search approach does him no favors to start. If you believe so strongly about Mark Pope that you're willing to risk the whole works on the feeling, then I would think you get him on the plane to Lexington Sunday even before Calipari has announced to Arkansas. ("There was one guy; this is the guy, and I couldn't wait one more day to get the next era going.") But if your first moves are Hail Marys to Drew, Donovan, whatever big names, you can't put Pope in a situation where it looks like you were scared and had to jump at what you could get. You let the process go for a while, see who comes out of the woodwork toward you (maybe some individuals who aren't even now apparently on the market) and get to the right name. ("It was a deliberate, comprehensive process that clearly led us to Mark Pope. He was the best choice among several good choices.")
DeleteWhat's particularly incredible to me is this. Mitch Barnhart has destroyed something that was very precious to a lot of people in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and he will never pay a price for what he has done. In fact, he will never even have to tell us why he chose to do it. He will simply take whatever money he's being paid for at least one or two more years, and ride off into the sunset.
ReplyDeleteCredit goes to Michael DeCourcy, who predicted Mark Pope as the next UK coach several days ago. He was absolutely right, and everyone in the Kentucky media was completely wrong.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Most everyone in the national media was wrong, too. I'm not in the media, but I was wrong.
DeleteOver the next five years, T.J. Otzelberger will win a lot more games than Mark Pope. In fact, almost everyone is going to win a lot more games than Mark Pope.
ReplyDeleteRack him!
DeleteIn any fair rating of the coaches in the SEC, I think Pope would be in the bottom six. That doesn't count Texas and Oklahoma.
ReplyDeleteAt least they finished their coaching search this week. That's the one thing that surprises me.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, the whole situation was quite simple. Barnhart had two names on his list: Drew and Pope. Once Drew turned him down, he went to Pope immediately. No one was pressing him, or urging him to sign Pope ASAP. This is what he wanted. He didn't want to interview anyone else. Pope is his second choice. I have no idea why he has chosen to make this his legacy as the UK Athletic Director, and of course no one in Kentucky will have the temerity to ask him about it. So we'll just never know.
DeleteAnyway, that was the truth: Drew and then Pope. Everything else we were told by the Kentucky media was false.
DeleteI said earlier that Barnhart has deliberately decided to destroy the UK basketball program, and he has, but of course that's not what he thinks. Barnhart thinks that he's made a genius hire and that we're all just too stupid to appreciate it. That's why he ended the search so quickly. Unfortunately for Barnhart, there will be 31 games played next season, and his thesis will be tested in public. He can avoid talking to us, but he can't hide the scores of those games.
DeleteNext March, Rick Pitino, Scott Drew, Bruce Pearl, John Calipari, and 60 other coaches will be in the NCAA Tournament. Mark Pope will not.
DeleteWe'll see. I hope to be watching.
DeleteMeanwhile, Kentucky beats Auburn 6-5 to run its SEC baseball record to 12-1.
ReplyDeleteOK, Rick Pitino has me feeling better.
ReplyDelete